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CHAOS reigned at the Civic Centre in Mutare on Wednesday afternoon after two defined camps of demonstrators converged at the city’s administration centre to protest against findings of a recent Government audit which exposed rampant corruption and breakdown of service delivery at the municipality.
While some of the protesters — bussed to the venue by Dangamvura/Chikanga legislator, Cde Isau Mupfumi — sang songs calling for the dismissal of the entire council management, the other camp countered, saying the demonstrators were being used to advance selfish political interests.
Although there was no physical contact, the protesters traded insults before anti-riot police officers moved in to maintain order.
Cde Mupfumi, who later addressed the protesters, had a torrid moment to get audience as those opposed to the demonstration interjected his address. In his address, Cde Mupfumi said corruption was rampant at the local authority as exposed by the audit report. He said managers were sending their children to expensive schools abroad at the detriment of service delivery.
“We are saying no to all this. These are the last days of managers at council. We are not going to chuck them out without following procedure, but I assure you they are on their way out,” he said.
The legislator said service delivery had broken down, while workers had gone for 18 months without salaries, a situation he said was unacceptable.
Cde Mupfumi said the Gimboki South issue was a bone of contention which the local authority was failing to handle, yet the ministry gave them the green light to bring the housing project to order.
Midway into his address some of the protesters interjected saying the legislator was commenting on council corruption with dirty hands since he owed the local authority thousands of dollars in unpaid rates.
“Lead by example, pay the money that you owe council first,” shouted one of the protesters.
However, Cde Mupfumi rubbished the claims saying the protesters had been paid by management to disrupt the demonstrations.
“Don’t worry about these people, they are my friends. It is only that today they have been given money to act in the manner they are doing,” he jokingly said.
Mayor, Councillor Tatenda Nhamarare refused to comment on the demonstrations saying they were political.
“I will not comment on these political manoeuvres. All I can say is that as council we received the report from the minister and we have since adopted it. We are now going to act along the recommendations of the report and improve service delivery.
“For the record, anyone caught on the wrong side of the law will not be protected. We will not rush to make ill-informed decisions, but observe due diligence and do things right. At the end of the day, our actions regarding the recommendations of the report is to put the interests of ratepayers on the forefront and ensure that we do things that improve service delivery,” he said.
Town Clerk, Mr Obert Muzawazi, said ratepayers had a right to demonstrate, but council was seized with implementing recommendations of the audit report.
He said the main objective of the local authority was to revamp council revenue which drastically dwindled since July 2013 when rates arrears were scrapped.
“Then (in 2013) we wrote off $24 million which was a lot of money. Some of our ratepayers who were paying religiously started developing cold feet saying they were not rewarded for being up-to-date. Now they have joined the bandwagon and they are no longer paying up and this has left council in a dire position. Managers’ salaries and allowances have been slashed by 50 percent, but this has little impact on our wage bill since payments to management only consume five percent of the total amount paid to workers.
“We have a bloated workforce of 1 500 workers compared to other local authorities of the same size with Mutare.
“Gweru has 800 workers, Masvingo 500 and Kwekwe has about 700.
“Our problem is that our operations are labour intensive as we do not have capital equipment to carry out service delivery,” he said.
Outlining some of the highlights of the report last week, the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Cde Saviour Kasukuwere, said council directors were enjoying extravagant lifestyles, which included sending their children to foreign universities and expensive schools.
“My ministry has identified a lot of weaknesses which challenge the survival of the city.
“An issue of concern is that the City Of Mutare is operating unsustainably. It seems executives do not understand the budgetary process in defiance of the Urban Councils Act.
“Is this deliberate disobedience? If what we are seeing is allowed to go on, we will be in serious trouble.
“There is no evidence of innovation in 2016. Your creditors stand at $19 million, while the city is owed $30 million.”
He said the city’s workforce was bloated at 1 501 workers, consuming 85 percent of revenue with only 15 percent left for service delivery.
“This level of extravagance will not be tolerated. Officials are partaking holidays in foreign nations at the expense of ratepayers and giving each other loans nine months in advance.
“Cash is moving from point A to point B without being receipted. As city fathers we owe it to the people of Mutare to give them decent service.
“They are not paying to quench your taste.”
He said the council officials should work overtime without being paid to rectify the situation
Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Cde Mandi Chimene, urged Cde Kasukuwere to sack all the directors.
She said corruption was rife at the local authority.
“The councillors here submit to management. We have to remind the councillors who the boss is.
“If you are not corrupt in this council, then I don’t know which council you work for,” she said.
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